Angela Hewitt is noted for her fine Bach and Chabrier recordings. Here she turns to Beethoven, with fine performances of three sonatas from his early and middle periods. The Sonata No. 4 is notable for the brio of her interpretation; the first movement is especially cogent in her avoidance of extremes. The "Appassionata" comes off well, too, as Hewitt clarifies inner voices and generates excitement in the outer movements. The Sonata No. 7, though, runs aground in the Largo, the most profound of Beethoven’s early slow movements, where Hewitt's carefully thought-out interpretation lacks weight and intensity. To a lesser degree, that applies to the other slow movements on this disc. But if spontaneity is sometimes in short supply, there's agile finger work, textual accuracy, and beautiful tone in abundance, the latter especially evident in the bright treble of her Fazioli piano. All in all, a successful, well-recorded disc that makes one want to hear more Beethoven from this pianist. --Dan Davis